2019 Eclipse Awards: British Idiom

As a $40,000 yearling purchase, British Idiom was eligible for a restricted maiden race at Saratoga last summer. Hardly anyone could have foretold that winning that six-furlong debut would propel her to back-to-back Grade 1 victories and a most likely divisional championship in just two more starts.

Indeed, trainer Brad Cox was among those pleasantly surprised and elated with the rapid progress made afterward by the modestly bred filly.

“Every time we asked her to step up, she did,” said Cox.

After her Aug. 15 unveiling, British Idiom was entered by Cox in the Sept. 14 Pocahontas at his home track, Churchill Downs, but the filly was scratched after coming down with what the trainer described as “a little bug, nothing major.” Some three weeks later, British Idiom resurfaced in the entries for the Grade 1 Alcibiades on opening day of the Keeneland fall meet.

:: Full list of 2019 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories

Sent away the 7-2 third choice choice in a field of 11, the chestnut filly stalked the pace in the 1 1/16-mile race before putting on a dazzling display of speed, drawing off down the short stretch to prevail by 6 1/2 lengths.

“She pulled a little bit, but I liked the way she did it on the backside,” said Javier Castellano, who rode British Idiom in all three of her 2019 races. “I really liked the way she finished.”

Four weeks later, British Idiom was the 5-2 second choice among a field of nine in the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita. After being shuffled back to seventh, then saving ground through the first turn and down the backstretch of the 1 1/16-mile race, she tipped out for the final three furlongs of her most demanding test to date.

She responded brilliantly, with Castellano moving to collar Donna Veloce approaching the eighth pole. Down the stretch, under rhythmic right-handed whipping, British Idiom ultimately emerged best, prevailing by a neck to polish off her unbeaten season.

British Idiom, purchased as a yearling in October 2018 at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky, ended the year with earnings of $1,381,250. She is owned by the four-way partnership of Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables. She got her name from Stuart Grant of The Elkstone Group, who said British friends inspired it.

British Idiom was sired by Flashback and produced by Rose and Shine, by Mr. Sekiguchi. She was bred in Kentucky by Hargus and Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm.

After about 60 days off, British Idiom was scheduled to return to Cox at his winter base of Fair Grounds in early January, well ahead of her scheduled 3-year-old debut in the Feb. 15 Rachel Alexandra Stakes. The May 1 Kentucky Oaks, which Cox won in 2018 with Monomoy Girl, is the early season target.